Trail Blazers’ Coach Chauncey Billups & Heat’s Chauncey Rozier Arrested In Betting & Poker Bombshell Scandal

Over 30 people – including Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones – were arrested as part of a large sports gambling and fixed Mafia-backed poker games investigation, the FBI announced on Thursday.

All people alleged to have participated in the scheme were arrested across 11 states and involved tens of millions of dollars, according to FBI director Kash Patel, who also said on Thursday that “the fraud is mind-boggling.”

Rozier was arrested on Thursday morning in Orlando and is accused of using NBA insider information to participate in illegal betting. The indictment said the defendants used “private information known by NBA players or NBA coaches” that could have affected the outcome of games or players’ performances. The defendants also provided information to other coconspirators in exchange for a flat fee or a share of betting earnings, the indictment said.

Billups, who coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, was arrested the following day on a separate indictment. The 49-year-old is accused of being involved in fixed poker games backed by the mafia, the FBI said.

Jones has been charged in both indictments. The former Cavaliers assistant and Billups allegedly used their status to encourage people to play the Mafia-backed poker games. The defendants allegedly used fixed-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special contact lenses and glasses, and an X-ray table to read the facedown cards.

According to the indictment, victims lost at least $7 million since April 2019 in the poker games.

Following the news, Billups and Rozier have been placed on immediate leave from their teams, an NBA statement said. The league will continue to “cooperate with the relevant authorities,” according to the statement.